Picture caption: Bricklayers working on site in the UK. Picture credit: Paul Painter

Whatever you think of social media, you have to concede that when a pair of Dutch bricklayers have managed to go viral on multiple platforms, this can only be a good thing for the construction industry. Demonstrating what goes on behind the scenes can help with both winning work and with bringing young people into the industry – something that’s much needed.

Bricklayers Jordy and Ralph have amassed more than 450,000 followers on YouTube, over 280,000 on Instagram, and thousands more across Facebook and TikTok. They also have their own website promoting themselves and their ‘merch’.

A quick scan of YouTube shows that their “How to lay brick windowsills” video has been watched 38,000 times in two weeks. They’re even being featured in an exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal, alongside workers around the world, from heavy machine operators to plasterers to forestry workers. The exhibition is called Madskills: Self-Documenting Construction on Social Media.

This construction video phenomenon has been around for some time, but you could be forgiven if it’s passed you by. Social media isn’t always a good use of your time, and mindless scrolling is best avoided, but it could still be worth tapping into this opportunity to promote your business.

Many of the construction workers with a large following began posting videos to help them win more work – almost as a visual CV. If the videos are done well, they can end up reaching a wide audience. The comments indicate that there’s something quite satisfying in watching a job well done. Then with certain videos the interest snowballs, and you have a viral sensation on your hands, like @dutchbricklayers.

Fascinatingly, there’s nothing out of the ordinary about these videos. Often, they’re very simple videos of bricklaying set to music – from Boney M to Mozart. The interest comes from fellow construction workers out to celebrate or criticize or learn from the bricklayers’ work, and from laypeople who are curious to watch something they wouldn’t usually get to see.

On the path to going viral

It’s difficult to engineer going viral, but if you do want to generate more of a following so you can showcase your work – and hopefully win more of it – where do you start?

 1. Storytelling

Humans are wired to love a good story, so anything you can post that tells a story is a good start. Behind the scenes videos of you working on site, before and after videos of projects you’ve worked on, time lapse videos of everything from drawing plans to a full build – all these types of videos are popular. People get hooked in and want to watch to the end.

 2. Showcase your expertise

Often potential customers simply want to see that you’ve done a good job on a project that’s similar to theirs. So share a variety of work to demonstrate what you’re capable of. One exception: If you’ve worked on a particular type of project and it’s not something you want to do more of, don’t include it.

 3. Connect and engage

Posting isn’t enough. If you want to grow a following, connect with other popular accounts in your industry, comment on their posts, and generally make your presence known on the platform you’re focusing on. Even spending five or ten minutes a day doing this can make a huge difference to how quickly you grow your reach.

Taking the time to make one or two videos each week can help you get better known in the industry, attract potential clients and help you recruit or collaborate with good people. You never know what opportunities might land on your doorstep as a result.

One final tip: track what you’re doing. It can be difficult to prove that your efforts on social media are making a difference, but if you keep a record when a new client mentions they saw your social media posts, you’ll be more inclined to keep posting. This also means that if social media isn’t having a positive impact on your business, you can invest your time elsewhere.

In the meantime, if you need assistance with the structural elements of an upcoming project, please do get in touch.